When it comes to being inspired to create things that are dark, weird, scary, but fun and even sometimes sweet, Tim Burton is the guy to look to. His filmography is, well, I don’t really have words to describe it. The man thinks so far outside the box that he couldn’t find the box if it was five feet tall, solid gold, and planted on his chest. I want to have the ability to capture ideas the way Tim Burton does.

Now I realize that he makes films (in many capacities) and I write books, but hopefully you see where I’m going with this. I like his style, even if it’s not like mine.

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I was in awe of Maleficent long before Angelina Jolie played the role, for which I think she did a great job. I always thought there was something special about her, but mostly I loved the fact that she was so evil and powerful. She was the kind of villain I wanted to create for one of my stories, and I believe I just might have.

When I saw Disney’s Sleeping Beauty as a child, I remember thinking that if that king hadn’t been so stupid as not to invite her, none of the curses and enchantments would have been necessary. For me, if I knew I had a crazy scary neighbor with known anger issues and I was planning a neighborhood party, I’d be a fool not to invite him. Now, I might take precautions to ensure the safety of others around me should things go wrong, but I wouldn’t ignore the guy. You know what they say, keep your enemies close…Now, I’m rambling.

Maleficent is a dynamic character that I’ll always love to hate or maybe just love, if Hollywood keeps up with the new Jolie take on this character.

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There is so much I could say about the importance of gardens. I write about them often and enjoy reading about them. There’s no shortage of tales about or involving gardens. Like labyrinths, garden/farming tales go back to the beginning of time.

I used to have one with my dad and maybe one day I’ll have another one of my own. Even with all my allergies, I adore gardens. They are so peaceful and beautiful, and such an easy way to get back to nature.

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Some people think I’m sarcastic; probably because I am. I guess that’s why I relate to Daria. She’s not much of an inspiration in my writing other than being an example of how to be myself despite what others think or say. If you haven’t experienced Daria, please give her a try (not recommended for young children).

That’s all.

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Here I go again talking about a green man. J’onn Jones, aka Martian Manhunter, is a complex character. If you can understand and grasp the multi-facets of this character, then you are on your way to mastering character development.

Not to make everyone uncomfortable, but as a black person, J’onn is quite a role model. It isn’t enough for him to be a superhero from a another planet working to save the lives of earthlings; no, he also has to shape-shift himself to look like an earthling sometimes because some people still fear him or even hate him because of how he looks.

He and Clark (Superman) have a special relationship. While they are both super powerful beings from other planets, Superman looks like “one of us” and is more accepted and welcomed than Manhunter (don’t let the name fool you, he doesn’t hunt humans).

I could go on more, but there’s no point. There is so much riveting backstory to this character that when I think I can’t come up with something for a character I’m working on, I think of him, then tell myself to “suck it up!”

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords